Former Karnataka Minister and Congress leader B Nagendra has been remanded to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody for six days by a special court for public representatives. Nagendra's arrest by the ED is in connection with a multi-crore scam involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation Limited (KMVSTDCL).
The case came to light following the tragic suicide of P. Chandrasekharan, the accounts superintendent of the corporation, on May 26. In a detailed suicide note, Chandrasekharan alleged that senior officials had pressured him regarding the misappropriation of Rs 87 crore funds, implicating two department officials.
Prior to his ED custody, Nagendra had been questioned by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police regarding the allegations.
During his appearance before Judge Santhosh Gajanan, the ED sought a 14-day custody for Nagendra to further investigate the money transfers and alleged misconduct. However, citing health issues, Nagendra requested leniency, leading the judge to order daily health check-ups.
In his defense, Nagendra denied any involvement in illegal money transfers, stating that the transactions were conducted through board meetings during his tenure as the department minister. He maintained that he was unaware of any wrongdoing.
After considering arguments from both sides, Judge Gajanan granted ED custody to Nagendra until July 18 to facilitate the ongoing investigation into the financial irregularities at KMVSTDCL.
